Set in Stone
by hearts.are.for.losers
Summary: Sequel to Six Silver Candles. Freshman year starts off with a bang as Axel, Roxas, Demyx, and Zexion move into their first apartment. Together. Needless to say, it'll be one insane year - if they can even make it that far. Zemyx, with AkuRoku on the side
1. Madness

**A/N: Hello! I'm back again and ready to go! I'm starting this chapter in my school, yet again. We're in the auditorium for some reason. My bestie's doing her homework next to me. Silly little poo didn't do her math homework. Then again, if I had had any last night, I wouldn't have, either. I always do mine during lunch, anyway.**

**Woohoo! On with the show~!**

**[I finished this chapter at 11:33 on the day after Christmas. When, I started, it was in late November… Updates won't take as long, now. I promise.]**

**Story Title: **

**Set in Stone**

**Chapter: **

**Madness**

**Words: **

**2178**

**(Chapter) Pairings: **

**AkuRoku, Zemyx**

**Warnings: **

**BoyxBoy, Angst, VERY VERY mild lime-ish sort of part, AkuRoku-centric**

**Disclaimer: **

**Do not own. **

**Song(s) to Listen to: **

**Madness – The Rasmus**

**Chapter 1: Madness**

"That corner's too high," a voice offhandedly comments, a hand landing on the other's arm. The taller of the two guides the poster down the wall a few millimeters before sliding up the rest of the shorter one's arm and sticking the tape to the wall. The hand retreats and two arms wrap around the shorter male's waist.

"Thanks, Dem," the short one replies, leaning back into his boyfriend's grip. A grin crosses the taller one's face as the slate-haired boy turns in his arms to face his boyfriend. Cerulean eyes lock onto light gray.

"Not a problem, Mr. OCD," the blonde replies, twirling the hem of the slate haired boy's shirt.

"I'm over that problem," the smaller one retorts, a contradictory soft smile on his pale face.

"Mhmm, sure, Zex," the blonde counters, planting a small kiss his on his lover's forehead. A blush crosses Zexion's face and he buries his head into Demyx's chest. He mumbles something inaudible into the other's sweatshirt. "What was that? I couldn't hear you," the blonde teases. His hand trails up the shorter man's spine, sending a shiver through the latter. The younger one raises his head from his boyfriend's chest, a pink tint on his cheeks and a half-hearted glare in his eyes.

"I said 'shut up, you poo face.'" Zexion replies, indignantly. Demyx sticks his tongue between his teeth in a grin. He lets out a small gasp as a pair of lips suddenly cover his own, a foreign muscle pushing his own tongue back into his mouth. Demyx's face grows hot and he can feel the shorter one grin. Arms slide up his chest and wrap securely around his neck. Small hands tangle in his hair, forcing his face closer, if at all possible. Demyx's eyes slip closed and he tightens his grip on the other. A contented sigh escapes Zexion's lips. They breathe into the kiss, unwilling to separate for air.

"Hey, Zex, where – WHOA! Okay, okay, could you two stop sucking face for _two seconds_?" A voice exclaims from the doorway of Demyx and Zexion's bedroom. (The four of them – Demyx, Zexion, Axel, and Roxas – have decided to split the rent of a two-bedroom apartment in downtown Hollow Bastian. They're finishing moving in today. All four of them are going to Hollow Bastian University and decided that an apartment would be cheaper than the college's room and board.)

The short slate-haired man rolls his eyes, huffs rather loudly, and glares at the intruder, leaving Demyx wide eyed and dazed.

"What do you _want_, Roxas?" Zexion growls, his only visible eye twitching.

"Sorry, sorry, sheesh, where's that box of DVDs you brought?" He asks quickly, running a hand through his explosion of blonde hair.

"In the living room, under the TV cabinet," Zexion replies hastily. "Now, leave, and close the door behind you," he finishes, sending Roxas another glare. The door clicks shut and Zexion turns back to Demyx, his eyes glowing with an unnamed emotion. Suddenly, Demyx can't take it anymore. He picks Zexion up and tosses him on their bed. The shorter one pulls the other's shirt collar and yanks him on to the bed, also. Zexion straddles Demyx's hips and grins.

"Don't wanna wait 'til tonight to break in this bed, do we?" Demyx grins, his voice throaty and thick with lust.

"You mean until we _break_ this bed," Zexion amends, an impish grin growing on his face as he raises his eyebrows suggestively. He gives his boyfriend no time to reply before he leans forward and captures the blonde's lips with his own in a heated kiss.

•**°‡°•**

No sooner has Roxas retrieved the aforementioned cardboard box than he hears a soft scream echo through the otherwise silent apartment. He sighs and shakes his head. The blonde tries to block the sound from his ears as he passes their room on the way to his and Axel's. He fails. Quite terribly.

"Ngh… Ze – Oh!" A loud thump and even louder moans fill the hallway. Roxas resists the urge to knock on the door and tell the two of them to keep it down. Instead, he presses onward and slips into his own dark room, shutting the door behind him.

A fiery haired nineteen-year-old looks up from his handheld game, his stunning green eyes smoldering through the dim light. A grin flashes across his pale face as he closes the silver Gameboy and sets it on the table beside the bed.

"I got some movies, did you set up the TV?" Roxas asks, a small smile gracing his features as he plops the box on the foot of their bed.

"Of course," he replies, standing and moving next to his boyfriend of nearly three years. An arm snakes around Roxas's thin waist as they both look through the box of movies. The blonde unconsciously leans into the other's side, his head falling to Axel's shoulder. Their hands brush occasionally, but neither cares to let it affect them.

"Ax…" Roxas starts, drawing back his hand and folding it into his other one.

"What's up, Rox?" Axel asks, offhandedly. A huffed sigh escapes Roxas's lips and he closes his eyes.

"You… Do you love me?" Roxas asks after a delayed beginning. He often wondered if the red head really _did_ love him. If he did, he had never said so. Sure, they had their share of kissing and screwing, but Axel had never told him 'I Love You.' Axel tenses beside the short blonde.

"I… Rox, what brought that on?" He counters, dampening Roxas's hopes. The blonde feels his chest constrict, and he opens his eyes.

"I just… You never… You've never told me… That you… Ah, well… You've never said…" Roxas can't seem to form a sentence that doesn't make him sound like an insensitive asshole.

"You doubt me?" He asks, sounding hurt.

"No, Axel! I just want to know if you love me!" Roxas exclaims, suddenly annoyed with Axel and himself.

"Roxas, I love you, I promise I do," the red head replies. Roxas turns to him and looks at him with wide, bright blue eyes.

"You mean it, right? You're not just saying that to make me happy?" The blonde states, more than asks. There's no way Axel can lie to a face like that, so Roxas decides that he accepts the redhead's words when he replies:

"I mean it from the bottom of my heart." Roxas frowns comically.

"Cheese-head," he mutters, as Axel wraps his long arms around him. But Roxas is glad, he's happy. If not for the faint moans from the room over, the moment would've been perfect. With that, Axel pushes the box of movies off of their bed and tosses Roxas onto it. The redhead grabs the remote from the top of the TV, then dives onto the bed next to Roxas. The two snuggle together and Axel flicks on the TV.

"What'd you put in?" Roxas inquires, throwing an arm across Axel's chest and entwining his legs with the redhead's.

"You'll see," Axel replies with a catty grin, throwing his arm behind Roxas's head and threading his fingers with the hand haphazardly splayed across Axel's chest. The two watch the TV as the previews start up and Axel skips through them. Roxas internally groans as the opening for The Rocky Horror Picture comes on.

"Ax, seriously?" He huffs, looking up at his boyfriend in disbelief.

"You _know_ you like this movie, Roxy," Axel merely states, leaning down to peck Roxas's lips.

Begrudgingly, Roxas admits, "Okay, I guess I do…"

A smug smirk on Axel's face, he reaches down and pulls the bedspread over them before sinking down into the bed and curling himself around Roxas. Somewhere between Eddie's Teddy and Rose Tint My World, they both fall asleep, practically breathing in time with each other.

•**°‡°•**

When Demyx wakes up, he notices three things: 1) His ass is _sore_, 2) Zexion's not in bed with him, and, 3) He smells pancakes. Groaning, he picks himself up and stumbles around until he finds a clean pair of boxers. As he pulls on the plaid short, Demyx looks up to see that he's landed himself in front of a mirror. He frowns at his messed up hair and untidy appearance. Regardless, he yawns and pulls on his sweatshirt before leaving his and Zexion's room in search of the pancakes.

He is greeted with a pleasant surprise when he shuffles into the kitchen. Demyx walks over to where Zexion is standing over a hot griddle and, sure enough, flipping pancakes like a pro. The blonde wraps his arms around Zexion's waist from behind and rests his chin on his boyfriend's head.

"How are you feeling?" Zexion muses.

"Ha. Ha." Demyx deadpans. Zexion lets out a small chuckle. "Are these sympathy pancakes?"

"Possibly… " Zexion trails off, grinning, as he transfers three pancakes to a plate ad pours more batter.

"Eh, whatev'. I ain't complainin'," The blonde shrugs, nuzzling his cheek into Zexion's hair. "Are Axel and Roxas up, yet?"

"Nope. I went to wake them up, but they're just too damn cute. Especially Roxas."

"Don't let Axel catch you saying that; he'll bite your head off."

"Who's head am I biting off and why?" A voice interjects. Demyx laughs and turns his head as Zexion starts humming.

"When'd you get there?" The blonde asks at the sudden appearance of his best friend.

"Just now," he replies, plopping down at their four-chair table, yawning widely.

"Where's Roxas?" Demyx continues to prod.

Another yawn. "Asleep, still; he was way too cute for me to wake him up."

"Told you, Dem," Zexion hums, repeating the transferring process of pancake to plate and batter to griddle.

"Told who what?" Axel sighs.

"Nothing," Demyx and Zexion reply, in unison. Axel drops his head to the table, defeated.

"Oooo! Epic headdesk!" Demyx announces, throwing a hand up in the air. It returns to Zexion's waist in a split second.

"That's a table, Dem, not a desk," Zexion corrects, turning slightly and blotting a dot of batter on Demyx's nose with his pointer finger. The blonde goes crossed eyed and blinks. Zexion grins, uncharacteristically, and lets out a small giggle.

"Okay, somebody got laid," Axel mumbles, his voice muffled by the wooden table. Demyx blushes five thousand shades of red and buries his face into Zexion's neck. Axel and Zexion laugh, but are almost immediately interrupted with a _scream_ of 'AXEL!' from the general direction of the bedrooms. Like a lightening bolt, Axel is out of his chair and down the hall before anybody can even move.

Just as the redhead reaches his and Roxas's bedroom door, it slams open and an extremely disheveled and terrorized blonde stumbles out and into Axel's arms. He clings to Axel's shirt and cries into his chest as the redhead drops to his knees, following the sobbing blonde to the floor.

"Rox, Rox, what's wrong?" Axel asks, rushed and worried. Roxas merely shakes his head and clings tighter to the redhead. "Roxas!"

"…No… Sh-…De-ad…Not…No-…Ah-xel…" The distraught blonde hiccups out, pulling away from his boyfriend and doubling over, clutching his arms around his stomach.

"What, Roxas? Who's what?" Axel pleads, desperately, lifting the blonde by his shoulders to face the redhead. Roxas continues to shake his head wildly, sobbing and dry heaving, but no tears and no _anything_ come out as a result.

"Nami… She… Axel!" Roxas can't bring himself to say it.

"Rox… What's wrong?" Axel prods, his voice full of concern and worry.

"Axel… Na-mi… 's… de-ead…"

"Whoa, whoa, wait. Roxas, slow down. Naminé's not dead. How did you 'find this out'?" Axel rattles off, wrapping his arms tightly around his shaking boyfriend.

"I-hi saw i-hit," the blonde hiccups back, clutching the fabric of Axel's shirt.

"Roxas, Roxas… It was a nightmare; Nami's not dead," the redhead soothes, running a pale hand through Roxas's hair.

"B-hut… I-hi s-saw i-hit," Roxas continues, on the verge of hyperventilating. Axel presses him closer to his chest, pressing kisses to the top of his head and rubbing his back.

"It's okay, Rox," he mumbles, standing and lifting the petite blonde into his long arms. Axel carries him back into their room and lays him back down on the bed. The redhead sits on the edge of the bed, next to Roxas and kisses him on the forehead. "Get some sleep." As Axel turns to leave, Roxas grabs his wrist and pleads for him to make sure that Naminé really is still alive.

One reassuring phone call later, Axel takes his cell phone from the now-calm Roxas and shoves it unceremoniously into his pocket. Just as he turns to leave, once again, a thin hand grabs his wrist.

"Don't leave…" Roxas mumbles, tugging lightly at Axel's hand. The redhead nods and slides into the bed with Roxas. The blonde snuggles up to him and Axel wraps his arms around the blonde's small frame.

"Hey, Roxy…" Axel begins, threading his fingers into Roxas's hair.

"Hm?" The blonde returns.

"I love you."

"I know. I love you… too…"

**--**

**Hm, hm? What'd ya think? Reviews make all the difference, peeps. Sorry this took so long to get out; school sucks aaaaaassssssssssssssssssss.**

**Regardless, love and cookies to all how review, fave, or alert. (All three gets you a cake (Or virtual Zexy hug), two gets you a cupcake~!)**


	2. Survive

****

****

**A/N: So, how 'bout the two most unlikely people EVER work at the library~! This is a crappy filler, things _will_ get interesting~**

**I have no words, enjoy!**

**Story Title: **

**Set in Stone**

**Chapter: **

**Survive**

**Words: **

**2371**

**(Chapter) Pairings: **

**Zemyx**

**Warnings: **

**Fluffy romantic crap?**

**Disclaimer: **

**Do not own. **

**Song(s) to Listen to: **

**Survive – Rise Against**

**Chapter 2: Survive**

Demyx creases his eyebrows and frowns. The words on the page in front of him are making no sense. Of course, it doesn't help when you have your extremely hot boyfriend sitting next to you, wearing those oh-so-sexy reading glasses and occasionally flipping his hair out of his eyes in that oh-so-sexy way. After another disgruntled sigh, Zexion leans over and slides the book from Demyx's hands.

"Dem, why are you taking advanced Politics?" He asks, perplexed.

"My _dad_ enrolled me. He wants me to be just like him…" Demyx replies, letting his head flop to the table, defeated.

"You should probably drop it, Dem. It's only day two of classes," Zexion suggests, closing the book and turning in his chair and resting his elbow on the table. He props his head up on his hand and looks at Demyx with his eyebrows raised.

"But… If I drop it, my parents'll be mad. And I won't have enough credits," Demyx replies, sighing. Zexion nods and creases his eyebrows in thought.

"Well, here, what class did you want to take that Politics got in the way of?"

"Musical Theory… Why?"

"Then, drop Politics and take Theory."

"But… My par-"

"Demyx, how old are you?" Zexion inquires, grinning like he's won something.

"Eighteen?" He answers with a question; Zexion rolls his eyes.

"Correct," he sighs, his smile softening. "It's _your_ choice what classes you want to take. I don't want you to fail a class because you hate it and your parents are making you take it. I know you, Dem; if you're not interested, you loose focus. S'not a bad thing, though…" Zexion tells him matter-of-factly.

"I guess you're right…" Demyx sighs. "But what do I do if they get mad?"

"Stand up for yourself?" Zexion shrugs. Demyx bites back a retort, knowing that ragging on Zexion's parents is a territory that _nobody_ ventures into. The blonde merely sighs dejectedly and sits up. He feels Zexion's hand on his back and sighs again, this time, not in defeat. He hears the chair scoot back from their kitchen table and soon another hand joins the first. They knead in circles, going up and down Demyx's back and he can't help but let out a soft moan of delight.

"You need to re_lax_, Dem," Zexion muses, leaning over and resting his chin on Demyx's shoulder.

"I _can't_," he protests, rolling his shoulders to displace Zexion, and stands up, grabbing the book and walking to their room. The other frowns and crosses his arms.

"Well, now, DemDems… Life for you has been less than kind. So take a number, stand in line. We've all been sorry, we've all been hurt…" He whispers softly, continuing to hum the song after the meaningful lyrics finish. Zexion runs a hand through his hair and checks his watch – four o'clock... Frowning, he grabs his coat from the back of his chair. He walks to the refrigerator and grabs a pen from the counter next to the phone. He scrawls a quick note on the To Do List pad and tears it off. Setting it on the table, he calls an 'I Love You' back to Demyx and leaves.

The walk to the college library is quick. Zexion is still perplexed as to how he landed a job so easily. They must need the help, he'd mused then. Upon entering the building, however, he realizes that that can't be the case – it's empty. There're maybe two clerks and a few students looking through the shelves. A short, plump old man with round spectacles approaches him.

"You must be Zexion. Come this way, please," he demands more than asks. The old man leads him back through many rows of books, finally to a door hidden in the back corner of the library. "Now, we just have to finish putting your information into the computer. I've heard great things about you, little one, and you should be an amazing help here!" Zexion looks at him questioningly. He smiles. "A nice pink-haired student here told me that you've got a lot of experience working at libraries; and the student who work here are absolutely horrendous!" He titters, opening the door.

'_Marluxia…?_'

"So, come on then!" He urges, walking behind him and pushing him into the room. It is a dank, small, dimly lit room and Zexion fears, for a second, that this could be some trap. But, he decides that he's just read one too many science fiction novels and follows the librarian to an antique wooden desk with an equally ancient computer on it. As he sits, he flicks on a few switches and the hunk of crap whirrs to life. "Oh! Where are my manners?" He exclaims suddenly, making Zexion jump. "My name is Geppetto, pleased to meet you." He holds his hand out and Zexion shakes it warily. The old man smiles and turns back to the computer, whose screen has turned a funny shade of green. Geppetto pounds his fist on the top and an old Windows desktop shows on the screen, instead.

"So… How did you come to talk to Marluxia?" Zexion muses, curiously, leaning against the desk on one hand.

"Oh, the pink-haired boy? He was in here checking out books and saw the sign for help. He told me about you, and then you came and applied! So, it's perfect, just like fate!" Zexion nods, a small 'humph' escaping his lips in thought.

"So, he goes here, and didn't even tell us…?" He asks himself, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Oh, no, he's from the school down the road, but they use this library, too," Geppetto answers, typing noisily on the grey keyboard. He clicks around a few times and starts typing again.

"But, that's Radiant Garden… Cosmetology School, duh! That _is_ where he said he was going… How could I forget?"

"Even those with the best reputations are liable to forget something, sometime," the old man replies, sagely. "There we go. Now, Zexion, I'm going to need your address."

"Three-sixty-two, Soldier Shadow Road, Apartment six."

"Cell phone number?"

"513 – 024 – 5647"

"And, your major – for research purposes?"

"Psychology."

"Okay, you're all set, then. If you could head out to the front and tell Sora that his shift is over, that'd be great. And then, also take the return cart around and stock the books? Nobody else here can seem to do that right, and I have a bunch of new books to log. One through three hundred are on the bottom floor; Four-hundred through Eight-hundred are on the second floor. The third floor is for specialty books; their labels start with 'spe', so I think you'll be able to go from there. The elevator is to the left of the front doors; if you're looking at them from the inside. Thank you so much for your help, ahead of time," the old man rambles, shutting down the computer and standing. "You can leave your coat back here," he adds before walking out the door.

Zexion sighs, taking in all the information. He looks around and grabs a pen from the desk. On the back of his hand he draws three lines and three arrows. On the first arrow, he writes '1-300', on the second arrow, he writes '300-800' and, on the last, he writes 'spe'. To the side of that diagram, he draws a square and an arrow pointing left. He caps the pen and sets it back down on the desk in the exact place he got it from.

He does as Geppetto had told him and, as the brunette leaves, Zexion glances at the four carts of returned books. The other student at the desk, a tall, dark-haired, pale skinned young lady (A/N: lol…), introduces herself as Yuffie. Zexion nods curtly and introduces himself, in turn, mentally noting that she's almost like Demyx – only more annoying. He begrudgingly wheels the first cart away from the desk.

Up and down the rows… Not to mention the fact that he had to rearrange some books on the shelf. (Because some bimbo hadn't put them back numerically correct.) It has been two hours and Zexion finally finishes the first floor. On his mind the entire time, though, is Demyx. He wonders if the blonde is still trying to read that book or contemplating switching classes. Zexion strongly hopes that it's the latter of the two; he doesn't like to see Demyx frustrated or angry. Or sad, but he had no reason to be sad.

Zexion pushes the empty cart back to the desk, only to find a silver-haired teenager in place of Yuffie. The new person doesn't talk, or even look up; his eyes are trained on the screen of a laptop sitting on the counter in front of him. Zexion shrugs and grabs the next cart, moving back out, grudgingly, to work.

**[o.X.o]**

By the time Zexion drags himself back to the apartment, it's almost eight thirty. He lets the door click shut softly behind him and drops his keys on the pass-through window to the kitchen. He hears the TV on in the living room as he shrugs off his jacket and hangs it up.

"Zex, is that you?" A voice calls. Zexion lets out an audible sigh of relief; it's Demyx.

"Yeah," he says back. Within seconds of dropping his hands to his sides and beginning to walk, he is tackled in a hug by his boyfriend.

"I'm so sorry for snapping at you!" The blonde exclaims, lifting the shorter boy off the ground in a bear hug. Zexion coughs and grins.

"It's… fine… Dem…yx… Now, let… me… go…" He wheezes, half laughing. Demyx puts him down gently on the floor and rests his hands on Zexion's shoulders. The slate-haired teenager smiles and throws his arms around Demyx's neck. "Gods, am I happy to see you," he sighs into the blonde's neck. Demyx, in turn, wraps his arms around Zexion's waist.

"How was work?" He replies, lifting Zexion into his arms, despite the other's protests. The slate-haired teenager huffs and crosses his arms as his boyfriend carries him into the living room and sits down with him still on his lap.

"It was fun," Zexion deadpans. Demyx laughs a little and turns down the TV.

"Are you serious?" Demyx laughs, eyebrows raised. Zexion lays back and slides down the couch to rest his head on Demyx's legs.

"As a purple panda doing the Mexican hat dance," he confirms, keeping a straight face. Demyx grins as Zexion smiles up at him.

"Seriously, though, how was it?"

"Boring as _hell_," he amends. "There's this girl that shouldn't even be _working_ there… She doesn't know the difference between a six and a nine! And she's in _college_!" He waves his hands around dramatically, making Demyx laugh even more. "Oh, but MarMar's around," he says, offhandedly. "He's going to Radiant Garden. Apparently both our schools share the library. I think that's where that girl, Yuffie, is from… I _hope_ that's where she's from," he adds in horror. Letting out an airy laugh through his teeth, Demyx combs his fingers through Zexion's hair.

"Sounds really _fun_," Demyx hums, smirking. "Hey, wha'd'ya want for dinner? Ax and Roxy already ate and they went out, somewhere," Demyx questions.

"I dunno… Food?" Zexion replies, facetiously, sticking his tongue between his teeth in a grin.

"Is pizza good, then?"

"I guess. Dem, did you wait for me to eat dinner?" He asks quickly. Demyx blushes lightly.

"Yeah…" He mumbles. Zexion smiles sympathetically, admiring Demyx. He twists on his side and hugs Demyx around the waist and buries his face into the blonde's stomach. Demyx's blush deepens and he smiles sheepishly.

"I love you, Dem," Zexion mumbles into the fabric of Demyx's sweatshirt. Demyx murmurs something incoherently. Zexion looks up with a smile and rolls off the couch. "_I_'ll make us dinner, Dem. Care to help?" He offers his hand to the blonde and Demyx gladly takes it.

"Gladly, Zexy," he replies, grinning. They bustle around the kitchen, throwing each other small smiles when they bump into each other; much like two love-struck teens, just starting out. They were, in fact, the first of that description, at least. Finally, at least a half an hour later, a pot full of hot noodles was simmering on the stove.

Dinner turned into a mini-date, and Zexion ended up sitting on Demyx's lap instead of a chair. However cliché he thought it was, Zexion ended up feeding more noodles to Demyx than he ate himself. Both of them weren't ones for sappy, gooey, romantic crap, but they ended up doing a lot of sappy, gooey, romantic crap.

"Demyx…" Zexion trails off, standing and grabbing both of their empty bowls. He dumps them unceremoniously in the sink and then leans against the counter.

"What?" Demyx hums, following him and leaning on the wall across from him.

"Let's watch a movie, tonight," he suggests. Demyx nods.

"What movie do you have in mind?" At this, Zexion blinks.

"I… have no idea…"

"I have no clue either," Demyx laughs. He pushes himself off the wall and walks over to Zexion, looping his arm around the slate-haired teenager's shoulders. "Let's just go to bed," he sighs. Zexion nods and they walk back to their bedroom, leaving the hallway lights on for Axel and Roxas. Ten minutes later, the lights in the apartment flicker off, just as the two climb into bed.

"Dem…?" Zexion begins, his voice quivering.

"It's okay, Zexy, I'm here," his boyfriend soothes, wrapping his arms around the smaller teen. "Good night," he breathes. His mind in nagging at him to see why the lights went out, but he ignores it, deciding that his lover is more important than electricity. Zexion snuggles into Demyx's chest.

"G'night," he drawls. Within a few minutes, light snores fill the room and Demyx forgets that the power ever went out.


	3. Say Anything

**A/N: **This has taken so long to get out and I'm really sorry! I had it all written and pretty and then the stupid techies took my laptop to update it. Not only does the filter on my computer stay on, now, but the word documents I had up weren't saved. They just shut down my computer, no recovery, nothing. I had this entire story written and for got to click that little square button after four pages. I had six pages written, now (March 11th), I have two. Suffice to say, I'm pissed and frustrated. The next might not take as long….

Now, about the filter: I can't go on Fanfiction, Yahoo, Gaia, LiveJournal, Aarin Fantasy, Manga Fox, or any of the sites that I live on. Luckily, I know how to get around the filter, but don't tell anybody~ ^^ I hate my school, though…

-_____________________-***

Anyway, I finally have a plot for this story. It's been almost six months and I know where I want to go with it. I'm excited~

**Story Title: **Set in Stone

**Chapter: **Say Anything

**Words: **3534

**(Chapter) Pairings: **Zemyx, AkuRoku

**Warnings: **Language, BL, Blood

**Disclaimer: **Do not own.

**Song(s) to Listen to: **The Unwinding Cable Car – Anberlin;; Coma White – Marilyn Manson

**Chapter 3 –**

"Rox, it was a dream. You even talked to her. And, how many days ago was that?" Axel says, throwing his arm haphazardly across his blonde boyfriend's shoulders. They walk down a starlit boulevard, running into each other, occasionally, talking about nothing and thinking about everything.

"I _know_, Axel. It doesn't change the fact that I'm royally creeped out. I mean, how would you feel if you had a nightmare about your best friend dying?" Roxas returns, glaring slightly up at Axel.

"Chill, chill. I'm just sayin'!" He defends himself, laughing lightly. Roxas smirks, half-heartedly and ducks out from under Axel's arm. He shoves his hands into the pockets of his khaki cargos and turns to face the redhead.

"Wha'd'you think it means, though?" He asks, seriously, cocking his head to the side. Axel continues to walk forward, slipping his arms around Roxas's waist and finally stopping. The blonde hooks his arms casually around Axel's neck. A few cars pass and the two just look at each other.

"I think…" Axel starts, kissing Roxas lightly on the lips. "It means that you're… a paranoid schizophrenic." he finishes, smiling. Roxas frowns and slaps Axel on the side of the head, though not moving away from him.

"I'm serious, Axel," he deadpans, narrowing his eyes at the redhead.

"I know, but you need to calm down. It was a dream, it's not real, Nami's _fine_," he persuades, cocking a cherry red eyebrow. Roxas shakes his head.

"Have you ever had a dream like that, Ax? It's scary."

"I haven't Roxas, and I don't doubt that it was scary, but you need to let it go," Axel replies, rubbing the blonde's back soothingly.

"It was all too real, Axel. I can't shake the feeling that something like that's gonna happen, in real life," Roxas returns, leaning in and resting his head on his boyfriend's chest.

"Nothing _will_, Roxas. What can I do to convince you?" Axel sighs, kissing the top of Roxas's head. The blonde doesn't reply. Axel's next exhale comes out as an exasperated sigh. He moves one of his hands to Roxas's chin and tilts his head up. Bright green eyes bore into blue and Axel kisses him softly on the lips.

For a second, all of Roxas's woes are forgotten and he sighs. Axel has always had that effect on him. The redhead pulls away and looks down at the blonde.

"Now, love, what're you worried about?" He asks softly. Roxas blushes lightly.

"I… Don't remember…" He replies. Axel smiles and kisses him again, this time a bit more forceful.

"And, are you going to remember and start worrying, again?" He continues, eyebrows quirked, after he pulls away.

"N-no," the blonde breathes. Axel holds back a chuckle.

'_He's such a manipulating bastard!_' Roxas screams in his head, but he knows his words are false. He loves Axel with all his heart, and then some; he'd never think of truly insulting his redhead.

As if nothing had happened, Axel grabs Roxas's hand and pulls him along, again.

"I want ice cream," he announces randomly. The blonde rolls his eyes.

"We have ice cream at home," Roxas says dully.

"But I don't wanna wait until we get home!" Axel whines, tugging on his boyfriend's hand like a little kid.

"Oh, shut up, you big baby," Roxas returns. Axel adapts a mock-hurt look.

"And I thought you loved me!" He says dramatically, ripping his hand away from Roxas's and turning his back. Roxas knows it's all just a ploy to get what he wants, but he falls for it every time; there's just no way he can see _his_ redhead so dejected.

Roxas slips his arms around Axel's waist and rests his head on the other's back.

"I do love you, Axel," he sighs.

"Then, why'd you call me a baby?"

'_Because you are one._' Is Roxas's immediate sarcastic response.

"I don't know, Ax. I'm sorry," he returns, cursing himself for following Axel's plan.

"Can we go get ice cream to prove it?" Roxas internally groans.

"Of course," he says, though his head is screaming '_NO!_'.

They walk down that starlit boulevard again, running into each other, occasionally, talking about nothing and thinking about everything. Like how Roxas is completely and totally wrapped around Axel's bony finger.

The redhead throws his arm haphazardly across his boyfriend's shoulder and holds him close as they walk into a nearby convenience store to buy some sea salt ice cream pops. (And some soda, and a few bags of chips, and a new pair of sunglasses, even though the sun rarely shines here at Hollow Bastian.)

**[.o.O.o.]**

Even with the power off, the alarm clock goes off in the morning with an annoying, blaring, beep. Zexion somehow manages to get his arm from under Demyx's head to hit the snooze button without waking the blonde up. Zexion looks at the blinking red letters and wonders why he wakes up so God-damned early every day. It's five o'clock and his first class isn't until nine.

The only thing he ever does in the morning is drink coffee and watch infomercials. With an internal groan, Zexion shuts off the alarm and snuggles back into Demyx's arms. Unbeknownst to the bookworm, the blonde smiles widely and 'unconsciously' wraps his arms tighter around his little lover.

**[.o.O.o.]**

Around midnight, Axel and Roxas make it back to their apartment. Both are a little too far gone with exhaustion to make it to their bedroom and end up collapsing on the couch in a heap of limbs that would've been rather suggestive had they not been fully clothed.

By seven twenty that morning, Zexion finds them in that same position as he leaves his room to make some coffee, his hair sticking up and defying gravity, some strands soaking wet, others just damp. Demyx had woken him at six thirty and persuaded him to take a shower with the blonde, which turned into a heated make out session and an almost-sex scene. They had to cut it short, though, because Demyx's first class was at eight and seven twenty was cutting it close for a shower – especially when he still had to do his hair. (As it turns out - though they don't know it, yet – this morning routine will be repeated over and over and over again…)

So, Zexion walks past them, as if they aren't even there (because sometimes it's best to just ignore people) and he continues on to the kitchen to make himself a nice hot pot of coffee. Unfortunately for him, the power is still out. With a frustrated sigh, Zexion walks back out to the living room and tosses himself into an armchair. He starts to drift off when he feels a pair of lips brush across his forehead. He barely registers what's happening before he hears the door click shut and lock with finality.

'_I love you, Dem_," he calls in his head, hoping by some magic, Demyx will hear him. With a sigh, he stands and nudges Axel's shoulder to wake him up. He dares not to touch Axel's blonde, knowing that such a taboo would get him eaten by said redhead.

"Hey, Ax, you might want to wake up…" He mumbles, though his friend is still unresponsive. Sighing, Zexion leans down and switches to Plan Z. "Axel, Roxas left you for the ice cream vendor!" Zexion says into his ear. Not even a split second after the words leave his lips, Axel rockets up and wraps his arms tightly around Roxas, the blonde in question letting out a small scream and smacking Axel on the head.

"MINE!" Axel yells, clutching Roxas to his chest and practically smothering him.

"Axel! LET. ME. GO!" The blonde exclaims, trying in vain to wiggle out of his arms. Axel just wraps his arms tighter around him and rambles something about 'that no-good-dirty-rotten-Roxas-stealing-son-of-a-bitch'.

"Sorry, Roxas, he wouldn't wake up," Zexion says, sheepishly, slowly backing out of the living room and to his own room to get ready.

**[.o.O.o.]**

Two weeks later, with The Blaqk Year blasting in his ears, Zexion makes his way slowly to the usual café after his last class of the day. The music plays through his ears, but, still, the only person on his mind is Demyx. He is so hopelessly in love, it hurts. Zexion lets out a loud gasp as somebody covers his eyes. He freezes and rips his headphones from his ears. He calms down enough to breathe and realizes that he recognizes the scent of the person behind him.

"Marly, you have until the count of three to get the fuck away from me," he mutters, darkly. "One… Two… Th…" The hands pull away from his eyes and he hears a nervous chuckle from behind him. The slate-haired teenager turns around and glares at his pink-haired friend.

"What's crackalackin', Zexy?" Marluxia asks, smiling. Without a second thought, Zexion stands up on his tiptoes and whacks Marluxia over the head, narrowing his eyes dangerously.

"Don't you fucking scare me like that, you douche bag," he says icily, turning on his heel and walking again.

"Sorry, Zex. Where're ya headed?"

"The café to meet Demyx," he replies, curtly. A sigh escapes Marluxia's lips.

"Why so serious, Sexy Zexy?" At this, the chibi-librarian whirls around, stopping, and glares daggers at his pink-haired friend.

"First of all, Marl_uxia_: my _name_ is Zex-i-_on_. Secondly, stop quoting The Dark Knight – especially The Joker. You may find yourself in some unwanted company," he hisses, turning around again and walking away. Marluxia looks around cautiously to see two rather rabid fangirl-looking students glaring at him. He turned around, his eyes wide, and made his way back to his own campus.

**[.o.O.o.]**

"Ple-" A rather flustered girl starts before she is cut off by a small teenager sliding into the booth next to the blonde she is confessing to. Her eyes widen marginally as said small teenager presses a quick kiss to the blonde's cheek and takes the second coffee sitting on the table.

"I'm sorry, what were you saying?" The blonde asks with a soft smile.

"I- Oh, um… N-nothing," she stutters, turning on her heel and walking away. Zexion looks at his boyfriend with his eyebrows raised.

"Who was that?" He asks, his voice flat.

"Just some girl. It doesn't matter – I have you, anyway," Demyx returns, slipping an arm around Zexion's waist and pulling him close. Zexion smiles and blushes a lovely shade of red, curling his hands around his Styrofoam cup and leaning against Demyx.

"How were your classes?" Zexion asks after a few moments of comfortable silence.

"Pretty decent, I guess. I'm so glad you suggested that I drop Politics; Theory is soooo much fun!" Zexion smirks triumphantly.

"Told you so," he says, mock-cockily, turning his head and leaning up to kiss Demyx lightly on the lips.

"Ha. Ha. How was _your_ day?" The blonde retaliates, a smirk present on his lips.

"It was a day," Zexion replies, lifting his cup to his lips and taking a long drink of black coffee.

"Can I make it an amazing day?" Demyx offers, the smirk growing.

"How are you going to do that?" The slate-haired teenager asks, looking up at Demyx with his eyebrows raised.

"We can go back to the apartment and… finish what we were doing this _morning_…" He leans down and finishes his suggestion with a husky mumble in Zexion's ear. The shorter of the two shivers unconsciously, quite delighted by the idea.

"I don't have work tonight…" Zexion says, smiling. "I'd say that's a smashing idea, Watson," he remarks, sticking his tongue out at Demyx before taking another drink of his coffee. "We need to go shopping, though; I'm out of coffee," he adds, after he swallows.

"And I need cookies," Demyx replies with a laugh. "We'll go after this."

"You do _not _need cookies, Dem," Zexion says, looking up at Demyx with an incredulous look plastered on his face. The blond frowns.

"I do so," he argues back, childishly. Zexion can't stop the smile from spreading across his face. "Oh! So, how 'bout I already have an epic project in my Calculus class."

"Already? But, it's still so early in the semester…"

"I _know_, right? And this kid in my class was all, like: 'Dude, nu-uh! It's too early, y'know?'. And the professor – Oh, Gods, Zex, you shoulda seen his face! – was all indignant and he goes 'you'll do this project if you're told to'. I had to force myself not to laugh."

"At least, you have some semi-interesti-"

"EVERYBODY ON THE FLOOR!" A sudden voice screams, the glass door of the café shattering as it slips off its hinges and slams into the wall beside it. Zexion gasps, his eyes growing wider, and wider, and he shoves himself away from Demyx and pushes his boyfriend under the table. "NOBODY MOVE!" The voice continues, and Zexion hears a gun cocking and he freezes, his eyes wandering upwards to see a pistol aimed right at his face.

Already, outside, there are police cars, their sirens wailing, and their lights flashing wildly. This man… Zexion swear he has seen him before. That hair – the unmistakable soft color of it… Those eyes – a shade of gray not unlike his own.

"Long time, no see, Zexion," the gunman says, a grin growing across his face. Then, it clicks. Zexion knows where he has seen this man, before.

"I-ienzo…" He stutters, his eyes still wide.

"Tell me, Zexy: What have you been up to, since I left?" Zexion remains speechless, his hands visibly shaking on the table. He hopes that Ienzo hasn't seen Demyx. "Miss me that much?" Ienzo asks, a sadistic grin on his lips. The pistol inches closer to Zexion's head and he squeezes his eyes shut. He can smell the metal of the gun, of the bullets… He can almost sense the bullets buzzing in excitement to hit whatever their chosen target may be. "I'm not going to shoot you, Zexion. But, _them_… Oh, them, I'm not so sure…" He pulls the gun from Zexion's line of view and waves it in the direction of the rest of the people in the café. Zexion flinches. "Still a bit twitchy, are we?" Zexion still doesn't speak.

"Why won't you say something? Say something, damn it!" The gun is now pointed at the head of the girl behind the counter – whom Zexion now recognizes as the girl from the library. Even if he didn't like her, her life wasn't something to throw away. "I'll _make_ you say something!" Ienzo barks, and Zexion sees his finger tighten on the trigger. Yuffie's eyes widen and Zexion can see her shaking. Still, his vocal chords won't work. Ienzo growls and stalks over to the counter, grabbing the girl by her black ponytail and yanking her head back. Yuffie lets out a small scream as the gun is pressed against her jaw. "_Say_ something, Zexi_on_!"

"STOP IT!" Zexion is finally able to say something, well, scream something. "Let her go!" He says, slipping out of the booth and standing. His comparison to Ienzo is pitiful. The other man stands a good six inches above him, almost as severe as Demyx's comparison in height. Ienzo looks like he has muscles and can at least stand a fight. Zexion, however, was thin and scrawny and he really didn't stand a snowball's chance in Hell against anybody.

"Well, now, the mouse finally speaks…"

"What do you have against me? What did I do that you have to take it out on them? You're the one that made me who I am! _You're_ the one that left _me_! Don't take anything out on them!" Zexion rants, frantically. Ienzo growls. He lets go of Yuffie and she drops to the ground next to another employee who wraps her arms around the girl and tries to comfort her. Ienzo then proceeds to stalk over to Zexion and tower over him.

"Zexy, Zexy, Zexy… You never understood, did you?" Zexion starts to shake even more violently as the pistol traces along his bare arm. Outside, the police swarm around the entrance, all armed with their own guns.

"PUT DOWN THE GUN!" One of them yells, pointing it directly at Ienzo.

"Make me!" The gunman replies, snarling, a sadistic grin making its way across his face, once more. In a flash, he wraps his arm around Zexion's neck and holds the barrel to the slate-haired teen's cheek. Zexion grimaces at how much the cold metal hurts.

"DROP THE GUN!" The policeman yells, again. Ienzo tsks and does as they police say. They move to come into the building, but Ienzo pulls out a knife, now. He holds it to the side of Zexion's neck and the captive leans away from the blade, a look of pure terror on his face.

"LET HIM GO!" A new voice yells and Zexion has to resist crying out loud. Demyx appears, as if out of nowhere. Zexion struggles against Ienzo, only to have the knife pressed further against his neck. By now, half of the police are in the café and there are now news crews outside.

"And who's this, Zexy?" Ienzo muses, leaning down and running his tongue over Zexion's ear. This time, Zexion does cry out, still trying to get away from Ienzo. He feels like the broken little boy he had been, before. Right now, he isn't in college, and he doesn't have a boyfriend, and his father isn't in jail. Right now, he is ten years old, again, and he is playing games in his backyard with Ienzo and Luxord, completely carefree, but the bruises on his body are visible because he's only wearing shorts and a tank top.

"You know who he is. Speak!" Ienzo commands, the knife sliding rather close to his jugular vein. Zexion tries to keep his erratic breaths shallow.

"D-demyx…" He rasps, his body shaking too much to produce a steady sound.

"Ah… Who is he to you?" Ienzo asks, contemplatively tapping the knife against Zexion's throat. The slate-haired teen debates about what to say. "Tell me, trash!"

"…"

"Tell me, or _he_'s gonna _die_," Ienzo hisses, switching the knife to the hand that belongs to the arm wrapped around Zexion's neck, still. He leans down to pick up the gun, Zexion forced to go with him for fear of being choked. The gunman aims the pistol in Demyx's direction. The blonde's expression doesn't change; he looks positively pissed, and the gun isn't making him change one bit. Still, Demyx doesn't move and Zexion tries to gather enough air to speak, again.

"H-he's my boy…friend…" Zexion whispers. That's all he can do, anymore. Ienzo digs the blade into Zexion's throat in a quiet rage. The slate-haired teenager lets out a cry laced with pain and terror. He feels the blood trickling down his neck and can't stop the tears from clouding his eyes.

"Moved on that quickly, did you?" Ienzo growled into Zexion's ear. "Maybe I can fix that…" He mutters, cocking the gun. The policemen's grips on their guns tighten. Ignoring the blade on his neck, Zexion turns quickly and throws himself at Ienzo's arm. Ienzo yelps in surprise and the gun flies out of his grip. Not seconds later, Ienzo tackles the small freshman and throws him to the ground. The gunman practically sits on top of his captive and holds the knife to his already bleeding neck. Pain tears through Zexion's body, painful heat radiating from his neck.

"Get away from him!" Demyx yells. He is tempted to do something, _any_thing, but the police tell him not to. They say that they're getting a negotiator on the scene. Demyx clenches his fists to keep from lashing out as Zexion lets out another soft scream. The other people in the café watch in horror at the entire scene playing out before them. Luckily, there weren't too many people in the restaurant at this point in the day.

What Ienzo does next scares Zexion even more and makes him sick to his stomach. The assaulter brings the knife to his lips and licks the blood off. Demyx grimaces and looks away, but only for a second. His eyes remain trained on Zexion, prepared to jump in if something bad starts to happen.

**[.o.O.o.]**

With nothing better to do, Axel decides to watch a bit of news – catch up on the real world (not that he wants to). Roxas joins him some time later, though both lost track of minutes a long time ago. Time isn't important when you have all of it to spare.

The blonde plops onto the couch with Axel and stretches across the redhead's lap, looking at the television with no interest whatsoever. However, said interest is piqued when a story comes on about a stand off at a local campus. Roxas sits straight up as it turns out to be _their_ campus. The camera somehow manages to zoom in with a warning of 'some viewers may find the following images disturbing'.

It's Zexion on the screen, blood dripping down his neck and such horror written on his face that it makes Roxas feel like puking. The blonde doesn't realize how badly he is shaking until Axel wraps his arms around him.

"Rox… How exactly did Naminé die in your dream…?" He asks, his voice shaking with different emotions.

"… A school shooting…"

**A/N – **Horrid place to cut off, I know… Anyway, I really don't see Ienzo as the adorable fun-loving chibi that everybody else does. It seems that in all of the fanfics I read that have him as a character, Ienzo is an adorable little hyper-active kid. I rather see him as a sadistic sadomasochistic bastard.

Until next time! ^_~


	4. Crazy Bitch

**A/N: **So… I fail… A lot. Regardless, here's a shitty chapter of back-story to tide you over until I can figure out what the fuck to do with this plot. Enjoy. ¬_____¬

(Title describes Ienzo)

**Story Title: **Set in Stone

**Chapter: **Crazy Bitch

**Words: **1470

**(Chapter) Pairings: **Zemyx, AkuRoku

**Warnings: **None. A bit of boyxboy??? (But if you really cared, you wouldn't be reading this…)

**Disclaimer: **Do not own.

**Song(s) to Listen to: **Uhh, none for the chapter, but check out Breathe Carolina and Escape the Fate!

**Chapter 4 – Crazy Bitch**

"Look at _that_, Zexion… The guns are all aimed at you… Didn't your dear old dad pull a gun on you, once?"

"Those aren't for me," Zexion replies weakly, trying, in vain, to press himself away from Ienzo. "Those guns are because of you. They're for you!"

A smirk grows across the attacker's lips, sending a chill straight down Zexion's spine.

"What makes you think _that_? You've been so terrible, obviously they're pointed at you," Ienzo says back, sitting on Zexion's stomach triumphantly. "Just think about it, Zexy. Would there be guns here, if you weren't here?"

Zexion's eyes widen, struck by the illogical logic that his old friend has presented.

"They wouldn't be here if _you _weren't here," the collegiate grinds out, struggling to breathe from the weight against him.

"Ah, but would _I _be here, if _you_ weren't here?" Ienzo counters, knowing that he's won. He sees Zexion's resolve melt away and terror cloud his eyes. Ienzo knows that this is over. "Don't worry, Zexy, I won't let 'em get you," he said, his voice dropping so that only Zexion can hear him. The words are laced with false comfort, but Zexion doesn't hear the falseness of it. He's ten, again, and Ienzo is here to protect him.

"Promise?" Zexion whispers, looking up at Ienzo with pleading, scared eyes, even though he's still bleeding from the neck.

"I promise. We should go get you cleaned up, love. I can't believe he went this far," Ienzo sighs, running his fingers through Zexion's hair, putting on the ruse that it was Zexion's father that cut his throat. The slate-haired teen's eyes are wide and he leans into the touch, welcomingly.

Demyx looks on, absolutely terrified, and completely helpless. He can't do a damned thing to stop this. He knows that Zexion might as well just be gone because there's no way that anybody will talk sense into him in this state.

"Just shoot him, already, damn it," Demyx mumbles, choking back tears. He can't lose Zexion, right now. He can't lose Zexion, ever. This time, it wouldn't be his fault, but he'd feel just as guilty.

"Come on, Zexy," Ienzo murmurs, standing up and holding his hands out to Zexion. The teen seems wary to take his hands, but does so. He is obviously light-headed from the blood loss, and, as he pulls himself up, he falls forward into Ienzo's chest. Demyx flinches and looks away.

"I– Uhm… M'sorry," Zexion mutters clumsily, blushing for some unknown reason. Demyx has no clue who this guy is, but he feels so jealous and so utterly wronged. What the hell was going on?

**[.o.O.o.]**

"Roxas! Get a hold of yourself! He's not gonna die… I know Ienzo, Rox. He wouldn't kill Zexion," the frantic redhead says, turning off the television and trying to calm his now spastic boyfriend.

"God, Axel, I was _right_! Somebody's gonna die. You told me nobody was gonna die!" The blonde says, standing up and backing away from Axel. "You promised!"

"Rox… How was I supposed to know that Ienzo would get out of the asylum?" Axel replies, standing also and following after Roxas. The blonde shakes his head furiously. "How was I supposed to know that he'd come after Zexion, again?"

"Again? A_gain_? What are you even talking about, Axel?" Roxas looks at the redhead as if he had a third head. Axel slaps a hand over his face.

"You don't know about Ienzo… Do you?" He asks, tiredly, plopping back down on the couch. Roxas shakes his head slowly. "C'mere," he commands, patting the couch cushion next to him. The blonde sits down somewhat reluctantly.

"So… I'm guessing that this isn't very random?"

"Not at all. Ienzo and Zexion have a history. When Zexion was born, up until he was fifteen, Ienzo was his best friend. He's two years older than Zex – Luxord's age. The majority of the story circles around when Zexion was ten or eleven years old. It was when Luxord lived with his father, stepmother and Zexion in the very same house that Zex and his father had been living in before we all came here.

"Ienzo was their neighbor, and also Luxord's closest friend. Upon the arrival of his new baby half-brother, Luxord grew extremely over-protective, as did Ienzo, in turn. Zexion grew up, and all three of them stayed very close. When Zex was eight his mother left and his father began to get abusive. Luxord did everything he could to help Zexion, but he only got hurt, too. As Big Brother, it was his job to make sure that Zexion wasn't the one that got hurt. So, Luxord took the brunt of the force, but their father started to get bored, moving on to hurting Zex, instead.

"Ienzo was rather angry that this was happening, at all, and started to blame Luxord. There was a fight for about a month before the two decided that not being friends wasn't a good idea for little Zexion. Move forward to Zexion's tenth birthday.

"It was just Luxord, Ienzo, Zexion, and myself at Zex and Luxord's house while their father was out. We had a little party; Zex finally got _Through the Looking Glass_ and we had a cake and such. But, their dad comes home and explodes. Luxord forces Ienzo and I out the back door before their dad notices that we're there.

"Later that day, Ienzo went over to see what had happened and found Luxord and Zexion in the tree house in their backyard. Zexion was bleeding pretty fiercely and Luxord was furious. They both had a decent amount of bruises. I knew Ienzo back then. He never got mad, visibly. When he was mad, he smiled and laughed and tried to act like he wasn't. That was the only way to tell if he was angry.

"That day… Ienzo couldn't stop laughing. I'd shown up an hour later and he was laughing his fool head off. I was sick, but I wanted to make sure Zexion and Luxord were okay. Their dad left later on and they got Zexion cleaned up. Because Ienzo was so happy, Zexion was happy, too. It was his birthday and he was going to have fun. So, as I sat under the tree, blowing my nose every five seconds, the three of them played tag and other games, just being kids, y'know?

"So, fast forward to when Zexion is twelve years old. It's the day after his birthday and Ienzo comes over around noon because Luxord and Zexion had just gotten back from their Aunt's house for Zexion's birthday. They had left the day before. He comes over crying because he was moving. All Luxord and I are dumbstruck, but Zexion just smiles and says: 'I hope you'll keep in touch.'

"Ienzo just hugs Zexion, and then they both start bawling. I've only ever seen Zexion so sad one other time in my life. Regardless, we watch movies in Luxord's room, just like old times, while Zexion reads his comic books. Somewhere in the course of that day, we found out that Zexion had a mondogigundous crush on Ienzo, and vice versa. It was… awkward… Suffice to say.

"About four hours into our little 'party', their dad bursts in and orders Ienzo and I to leave. We both do so reluctantly. That's the last time I ever saw Ienzo.

"From what Luxord told me the next day, I gathered that his mom, back in London, wanted him back. Rather than have a huge custody battle, their dad just said: 'take him'. So, not only was Ienzo leaving, so was Luxord. Zexion was a mess. I kept in touch with Luxord for Zexion, and Luxord kept in touch with Ienzo, also for his little brother. In turn, I was updated on what was going on in all their lives.

"Around when Zex and I turned fifteen, and we met you, I got the e-mail that changed everything. Zexion had gotten his own e-mail and was talking back and forth with Ienzo. The message that was sent to me was from Luxord. It had said that Ienzo was being committed.

They had found a box full of pictures, memorabilia, locks of hair, school papers, tests, drawings, old pencils, an old toothbrush – among other things. The catch was? They were all Zexion's. They called him obsessive. They said it was unhealthy. Ienzo was committed and Zexion wasn't allowed to talk to him anymore. Zexion was devastated and scared, at the same time. In short, Ienzo was obsessed with him. Completely and utterly _obsessed_."

Axel stops and takes a deep breath. Roxas looks up at his boyfriend.

"This is a lot worse than it looks, isn't it?" Axel nods solemnly.

"Afraid so, Rox… I'm afraid so…"


End file.
